OPEN/CLOSED: TORONTO/GTA Restaurant News August 13-19, 2026
The OPEN/CLOSED is THE most comprehensive resource of the latest restaurant openings – virtual, brick-and-mortar, pop-ups, allll the things - and food/drink news in the city. No one does it bigger or better. Watch for the drop every Thursday. #iykyk
🕘 11 min read
Strap in, y’all. My findings this week are giving serious roller coaster vibes. It starts off innocently enough - Incoming: Largely casual offerings (13) and sneak peeks that almost all have Michelin ties - but final goodbyes and surprising closures (5), alongside TRIGGER WARNING: Two industry deaths - add a somber tone to an otherwise cheery selection of destinations.
NO ONE COVERS THE CITY LIKE THIS.
Psst. Want the inside track on what’s happening? Keep your eyes peeled on the website (the #TRrending section is a good place to start), listen to THE TIP OFF, a supplement to my OPEN/CLOSED featuring breaking exclusives, sneak peeks, hot tips + the week’s top stories and events like you’ve never seen - or heard - before in 3 minutes or less on the new TORONTO RESTAURANTS | THE PODCAST, follow Toronto Restaurants on Instagram and Facebook for breaking news and updates, and subscribe to the TR Newsletter.
Here’s the very latest:
OPEN
Banh Mi Nana has landed in North York (5425 Yonge St.) with a single food item: The NaNa Special ($8.95) - think classic Viet sando. Drinks are pared right down too: Cà Phê Sữa Đá - Vietnamese style Iced Drip Coffee, made with strong coffee and sweetened condensed milk, and a refreshing Passion Fruit Drink. Grand opening is this weekend. Expect lineups. TR Trivia: They’ve also got a shop in Thornhill (505 Hwy 7, Unit A3).
Tracking Blondies Pizza movements lately has practically turned into a part-time job as the pink pizzeria’s been really tearin’ it up. Introducing their latest digs filled with catchy pies (Kissing Tigress, Trouble at the Seance, Sunday Citizen, Cold Drink/Hot Girl) at Bay and Dundas (598 Bay St.), where Roywoods held it down until recently.
Attn Tea Lovers: DAVIDsTEA has arrived in a Mississauga mall with their signature cozy concoctions including Barista Matcha, Brown Sugar Bourbon, Caramel Apple, Cold 911, and Hot Chocolate Tea. See: Square One (Level 2 near Entrance 8).
You know the latest addition to King West - hotel à toi (214 King St. W.) - under its former identity, Coffee Oysters Champagne and accompanying speakeasy à toi. As I previously reported, doors for the boutique hotel lobby bar open Wednesday. TR Trivia: There was a similarly themed concept in the city. Down the strip, it turns out: Vela (90 Portland St.), “A modern homage to the grand hotel lobby” at the corner of King and Portland, until fire resulted in temporary closure in January 2025.
Lick’s Homeburgers nabbed headlines a few months back when their last location in Parry Sound shuttered (1 Horseshoe Lake Rd.). For those that can’t get enough of the iconic burger chain known for their homemade burgers, fries, shakes and sing-song ordering, you’re in luck: The local chain that started as Lick's Homeburgers & Ice Cream in Toronto on Queen East back in 1980 and grew to over 30 locations, is back! Though you’ll have to travel all the way to Nobel, ON to get a taste. Find the new Lick’s at Shawanaga First Nation Gas & Variety (1 Tuckers Rd. E.).
Ouuuu. Mapo Korean BBQ that you know and love in Koreatown (708 Bloor St. W.) has expanded, taking over the former footprint of the world's oldest LGBTQ bookshop since 1970, Glad Day Bookshop* in Church-Wellesley Village (499 Church St.). On the menu: Signature dishes Galbi-Tang, Mala Rose Tteokbokki, and other tantalizing fare. *Now located at 32 Lisgar St.
TR Tracker: I’ve been clocking Montreal arrivals like never before. The hits keep on coming. Introducing Spano’s Diner, the Toronto branch (Read: Reasonable facsimile) of Pizza Spano that’s held it down in Montreal for 40 years and now is calling North York home. Head to the Keele and Lawrence vicinity (1 Hafis Rd., Unit 3) for their la bonne cuisine/good eats including subs, pizza, wings, Greek classics, burgers, pasta, salads and sandwiches. TR Hot Tip: If Club Sandos are your thing, they offer four varieties.
Street Food Bento & Poke Bowl (460 Spadina Ave.) brings its fast casual, Asian fusion vibes to Chinatown aaand the solution if you’ve ever wanted Taiwanese fried chicken and poke simultaneously. Bonus: More good news. Honeymoon Dessert is still in effect.
ICYMI: Tanghulu Tanghulu is taking over the city one sweet skewer at a time. TT’s new dessert destination: CF Sherway Gardens in Etobicoke (25 The West Mall). Grand opening kicks off today.
Tea Room by Icha Tea (8 Eastern Ave.) is a limited time pop-up, and different than their shops. Think more cafe, less retail, but still all about the tea baby.
I gave you the inside scoop on TigerBaby Coffee and Clay (977 College St.) back in June. Newsflash: Doors are now open. Time to turn mud into magic…You can use six ashtrays and a crooked vase, right?
Violets by Stelvio (791 Dundas St. W.), the new twist on former long-running Northern Italian resto at Dundas and Bathurst Stelvio, has changed things up slightly. See: Mussels Panzanella, Dungeness Crab Ravioli, Hay-Smoked Lamb, and Tiramisu, for starters.
A neighbourhood all-day cafe is just what your life needs right now. Because you want a bit of everything, and if you’re honest, you want it allll. Wild Beast Cafe just softly opened in Thornhill (505 Hwy 7 E, Unit 98-99) with an exhilarating array of options. Brunch goes beyond the basics thanks to Eggs Benny’s showcasing butter-poached lobster or Korean glazed galbi beef ribs with kimchi, topped with gochujang hollandaise, Eggs in Purgatory or Mexican-style (aka Huevos Rancheros), and savoury mains such as Miso Ragù Bibimbap and Scallop & Prawn Risotto.
CLOSED
Centre Street Deli dropped a sparse, brightly lit destination downtown in 2024. The eatery known for their hand-cut smoked meat sandos and other Jewish deli classics has shuttered the Bay & Wellesley outfit (995 Bay St.). The OG in Thornhill is still in effect.
I sounded the alarm in July: Tomorrow’s the last day for the lunch counter portion of Famiglia Baldassarre.
Last month Electric Bill Bar announced closure on August 16. Time’s up.
O'Somae (357 Broadview Ave.) landed in East Chinatown in 2021 with tantalizing brunch options for dine-in and takeaway (Their brunch boxes ruled during the pandemic.) TR Tracker: Psst. It appears almost next door neighbour, Supreme Taste, has snapped up the real estate. Stay tuned.
Stelvio (791 Dundas St. W.) as you knew it, has come to an end. For news about their new iteration, pop up top.
NEWS
Haysam Ibrahim, owner of Paparikoo Mediterranean Cuisine in Etobicoke (1176 The Queensway), died.
A worker at Union Restaurant died last week. While the popular eatery on Ossington didn’t name the “cherished member” of the Union family, they did share: “She brought warmth, joy, and light into our kitchen and into the lives of everyone who had the privilege of working alongside her. We are incredibly grateful for the time we shared with her, and she will be deeply missed.” Fifty per cent of all of yesterday’s sales will be donated to her family.
Latest food recalls: Alfa croissant products recalled due to mould, Aqua Gems Tempura Shrimp recalled due to undeclared egg, The Greek Gods Greek Style Honey Yogurt and Organic Plain Yogurt recalled due to mould, Momchipz Veggie Chips (Broccoli Florets & Cauliflower) recalled due to undeclared gluten, Certain Whole Foods Market guacamoles, pico de gallos, salsas, and prepared foods recalled due to Salmonella, Zhou Hei Ya Wide Vermicelli with Sesame Sauce recalled due to undeclared shrimp.
TR SNEAK PEEKS
The Bar Chef family is expanding. Stay tuned for Bar Promenade, a escape to the seaside and French Rivera by Frankie Solarik Holdings.
St. Catherine’s Michelin Recommended Fat Rabbit and recent sibling Les Incompetents is about to add to the fam with Sunset Steak & Cheese.
Michelin Starred Shoushin is about to get a sibling. Stay tuned for chef Jackie Lin’s new soba noodle joint, Osoba Ni-Hachi.
Life moves fast. Catch up on previous editions of the OPEN/CLOSED.
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